TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Football wide receiver Jaelen Strong was taken by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2015 National Football League draft.
Strong was the 70th overall selection and is the highest Arizona State wide receiver selected since Aaron Cox went to the Los Angeles Rams in the first round in 1988. He is the ninth wide receiver in school history to go in the top three rounds of the draft and is the Devils’ first wide receiver taken in the draft since Kyle Williams went in the sixth round in 2010.
Strong is the second Sun Devil taken in the 2015 draft, joining safety Damarious Randall, who went to the Green Bay Packers with the 30th overall pick, and is the fifth Sun Devil selected in the past two seasons.
Arizona State wide receivers selected in the top three rounds
Jaelen Strong – 70th overall, Houston Texans, 2015
Derek Hagan – 82nd overall, Miami Dolphins, 2006
Aaron Cox - 20th overall, Los Angeles Rams, 1988
Ron Brown – 41st overall, Cleveland Browns, 1983
John Mistler – 58th overall, New York Giants, 1981
John Jefferson - 14th overall, San Diego Chargers, 1978
Steve Holden - 16th overall, Cleveland Browns, 1973
Larry Walton – 59th overall, Detroit Lions, 1969
J.D. Hill – fourth overall, Buffalo Bills, 1971
Strong scored 17 touchdowns and collected 2,287 receiving yards over two-year Sun Devil career, the fourth most in school history, and was just the third receiver in ASU annals to cross the 1,000-yard mark in consecutive seasons. His 157 career receptions ranked sixth in school history and he averaged a school-record 88 receiving yards per game in his career. Strong had 12 100-yard receiving games in in his career, which tied Shaun McDonald for the second most in school history.
A two-time All-Pac-12 recipient, Strong was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and a First-Team All-Pac-12 honoree in 2014, and garnered a spot on five All-America teams, including Sporting News, Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com. He led the Sun Devils with 82 catches for 1,165 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in 2014, and ranked in the top 17 in the nation and top five in the Pac-12 in total receiving yards and touchdowns, and receiving yards and receptions per game. His 82 receptions were the third most in a single season at ASU, and he was just the 10th receiver in school history to record double-digit touchdown receptions in a single season.
Strong earned recorded 1,122 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 75 receptions in 2013 en route to All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honors. He began his ASU career with five consecutive 100+ yard games through his first six starts, the first wide receiver in school history to do so, and finished the season with seven. He played an integral role in ASU’s historic offense in 2013, which finished 10th nationally at 39.7 points per game and scored 556 total points, just six points behind the 1972 school record.